Jordan and Jensen Adoni of Modern Vice Shoes on Their NYC Roots

Rather than appearing boxed up without a word of where they've been, shoes from New York-based Modern Vice have roots in the city. Each pair is designed and crafted right in NYC to support Manhattan's Garment District. ELLE.com chatted with the founders (and brothers!) Jordan and Jensen Adoni to find out why they decided to stay local. We also rounded up our favorite kicks from the brand, below.

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ELLE: With so many designers opting out of producing in the U.S., why did you decide to stay?

Jensen Adoni: New York City is a place of high energy unlike any other, and just being in Manhattan makes your whole attitude toward business different. We had the option to open up a factory in Queens or Brooklyn, but it just wasn't the same. We needed to be in the heart of it all. We were able to stay close and true to our design process and work hands on with the pattern makers every single day. Our father opened a footwear factory here when he was 18-years-old, and then moved it out to Brooklyn. We grew up there, and now as adults, we're getting the same experience. We check the leather, hammer nails into the soles—all right here in the city of fashion. It doesn't get any better than that.

ELLE: Do you think the brand identifies with New York's energy?

Jordan Adoni: It's the blood and pulse of our brand. We get on the subway, walk to work, hear a hip-hop song, and make shoes to go with that song. The sights, sounds, and vibe of the city are what create our shoes. NYC is the only city in the country, and there are just a few in the world where we can buy studs, eyelids, dyes, buckles, and essentially anything within a mile. We're bringing back manufacturing, style, and a brand that has true NYC roots into the fashion industry. Saving the Garment District one shoe at a time.

ELLE: How many days a week are you actually in the factory?

Jordan Adoni: Monday through Sunday from about 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Recently somebody called me and said, "Why don't you go home?" I responded, "I am home." We're in the talks of installing showers and cots, because what better way to dream of shoes than to sleep in your own factory?

ELLE: Have you gotten to do any crazy customizing for yourself as a perk of the job?

Jordan Adoni: Absolutely. I wear it every day. In the morning we walk into the factory with an idea—sometimes an outrageous one—but we make it happen. I made a pony-hair boat shoe for myself just for fun, but then I put it online and people went crazy.